Report from 01 to 03 September 2022

Our heronry is quiet now: the herons are no longer going to and fro, as all the juveniles have left their nests. For the most part, they have not gone too far: they perch on bare branches and dead trees, where it is easier to land and take off. There are so many that some of the trees look like they are in fruit; white fruit if herons, and black fruit if Pygmy Cormorants. They fledged later than usual, but I think this is due to the fact that it is a brand new colony, with a few early pioneers establishing a presence, followed later by the others in mid-summer. The Starlings, which had deserted La Cassinazza during the hottest weeks of summer, are now coming back. They are attracted by the fig trees in the garden, which are bursting with fruit and are also attracting Rose-ringed Parakeets. As far as migration goes, we saw the first Willow Warbler of the fall and a few Honey Buzzards, but Garden Warblers and Bee-eaters continue to be the commonest migrants. Both seem to be passing through in unprecedented numbers here. These two species could not be any different. The colorful and noisy Bee-eaters fly acrobatically through the sky at all times of day, and perch conspicuously on power lines. The drab, nondescript, silent, and elusive Garden Warblers, instead, can only be seen early in the morning, after which they seem to disappear. They are so plain as to deserve a photograph.